One of the focuses of wellbeing at Prospectus is fitness – here is one of our longstanding team members, Juergen Krauss, talking about our activity club.
Since the first lockdown began, in March last year, running has been a great way for me to get outside, let my thoughts float, and to feel connected to a world beyond my screen and the walls of my flat.
During a meeting of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee I discovered that I was not the only runner, and we decided to share the many benefits of outdoor exercise with the rest of Prospectus in one of our Lunch & Learn sessions.
My colleague Roberta (who is an experienced ultra runner) and I (with some experience of CouchTo5k programs) hosted a very lively discussion where we talked about many topics, among them finding time, being kind to yourself, the benefits and aims of running, niggles and pains, and safety. There was a strong feeling at the end that group activities would be a wonderful way to get other colleagues started and motivated.
Based on that conversation, we created a club in the STRAVA activity tracker (a private group), and invited our colleagues to join us. So far we have 20% of the organisation signed up and most of us log several activities per week. The tracker allows us to see each other’s activities, post messages and photos, and give each other encouragement.
Although I was running quite regularly before, having the group gives me a great incentive to go out, and also makes me feel more connected with my colleagues, despite remote working and physical distance. I am sure others feel a similar way.
And the pictures taken during activities at favourite spots create an appetite in me for visiting colleagues and trying out their favourite trails once we can travel again and meet in person.
